The Veterans
by A Keeper
Summary: It's been two years since New York. The surviving Legends are living normal lives, coping with a very different environment as they mourn for their leader, Danielle Jones. One text message from Nick Fury flips their world around and suddenly, they are thrown back into the realm of espionage and Avengers. Why couldn't the dead stay dead? Sequel to The Legends. HIATUS FOR NOW.
1. Changes

**Jamie: Don't ask. I don't know why Keeper picked this song. **

**Keeper: Because you and the Legends have been through a lot of changes recently! The title is literally: Changes!**

**Jamie: DON'T CALL US THAT! I don't think David Bowie was going for what you're thinking when he made the song. **

**Keeper: Shut up and do the disclaimer. **

**Jamie: *sighs* Keeper only owns what's not owned by anyone else. *Keeper slides paper over* And she says that it's rated T for language and violence.**

**"I still don't know what I was waiting for and my time was running wild. A million dead-end streets. Every time I thought I'd got it made, it seemed the taste was not so sweet." -David Bowie, Changes**

* * *

Jamie Hill accepted the money from the eager customer and handed him his food and change. Of all the things she thought she would aspire to, a McDonald's employee was not one of them. Her time was almost up in the God-forsaken place when she saw her. A stupid teenager.

She was wearing a Captain America hoodie.

Gripping the counter tightly, she called to Alyssa, "Cover for me!" Then hurried to the bathroom.

Scrambling into a stall, she clutched the edges of the toilet in preparation for her loss in the battle against her post-traumatic stress. Her mind flashed through the last two years—since New York—and re-watched her world come crashing down.

Dr. Chelsea Marx admitted to convincing Danielle Jones to commit suicide. Danielle had been confirmed as the second Iron Man and her body had not been recovered. Horrified and angry, Alex and Jamie had threatened her and told her to disappear and never reappear, else risk certain death. They managed as a team of two for a while until Alex stumbled on to Phil Coulson. Furious, that she was kept in the dark about his death, or lack thereof, she changed her name back to Middleton, turned in her ID and vanished. This left Jamie alone to deal with her unstable boyfriend: Steve Rogers.

Then, he did something unforgivable. So she left.

The Legends died.

Jamie had managed to pick up one of Danielle's old aliases, Rachael Bond, and got a job where no one would find her. She told the management that she had served in Afghanistan where she earned her PTSD so the other workers had been given instructions on what to do when she went into one of her episodes.

She could hide in the bathroom as long as she wanted. But if she waited there too long, Danielle would appear.

No one knew how Danielle had gained the nickname 'Danny Boy' except for Jamie because she had made it up. On her very first mission, there had been a lot of violence, a lot of death. She couldn't take it. As she sobbed into her pillow on that first night, Danielle had come in and sang Danny Boy to her.

So would her ghost.

Therefore, she left the bathroom and resumed her job, ignoring the stares from her co-workers.

She had managed to avoid everyone in the fast-food restaurant until her phone buzzed. "Rachael Bond! What did I say about phone usage?"

Shit.

The rather…calloused, coach-like manager stepped forward and swiped her phone from her hand. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to apologize for the inconveinence this employee has imposed. Apparently, you were not as worthy of her time as the following message from," He glanced at the screen. "Nick F."

Her eyes widened. What did Fury want?

The manager continued. "This message says," His brows furrowed. "'Long live the Legends.'"

That was the emergency phrase.

It was code for haul ass, people really need your help. Jamie hadn't heard it in a long time. Could you declare something to live long if it was already dead? She was no legend.

_Damn it, Fury._ She thought. _This had better be good for what I'm about to do. _

"Give it back, Harrison." She growled, her hand extended to accept the device.

"You know the rules, now you either endure the consequences or get the pink slip." He replied.

"Shut up and give me the phone. Consider this my resignation."

"Miss Bond-"

In the blink of an eye, she had reached forward, took her phone and had flilpped him overhead on to a table. He groaned as she made for the door. "I can sue you for this, Bond, don't think you can walk away so easily!"

She stopped and turned on her heel, "My name is not Rachael Bond, you will never find nor hear from me again. If you try, you will die. My connections can make sure Harrison Clark never existed. Stay away and never, _ever_, threaten a veteran." Her exit would have been incredibly bad-ass if it wasn't for nerdy Robert Jameson who had wired the speakers to sing 'I'm lovin' it!' whenever the door opened.


	2. Superhero

**Jamie: Keeper wants to thank everyone who favourited, followed or reviewed, it helps motivate her to keep posting chapters and she apologizes for her lack of access to wifi. **

**Keeper:...And? **

**Jamie: *sighs* And she owns nothing except what's hers. **

**Keeper: You know, just because you act like this during The Veterans doesn't mean that you have to act like this during the disclaimer. **

**Jamie: :P**

**"Rip it off, show the symbol on your chest, say, 'come on' and show the world who you really are. It's not enough to be better than the rest, gotta take it to the top and make yourself a superstar. You don't need them to believe in you, get your mission unlocked and see it through. You've got all the power you need in you." -Simon Curtis, Superhero**

* * *

Jamie hurried to her apartment, shoved everything of value into a bag and hailed a cab. Once in the car, she traced the text message on her laptop to a little apartment complex in D.C., a twenty minute drive from her current location. Upon arriving, she left the laptop in the cab. The phone was already untracable.

To her surprise, the apartment complex was descent. There was even a neighborhood watch sign at the front. This wasn't Fury's typical MO, so what was going on? Whatever it was, it had to be important enough to make her feel like the sacrifice of her job and her alias was worth it. Climbing up to the apartment window—there was a chalked flower on the brick—she pulled herself in and gazed about the new surroundings.

There were a lot of antiques and not a speck was out of place. The owner was probably major OCD, not that she was one to talk.

There was a cough and she whipped out her gun—something she always had with her—and aimed it to none other than Nick Fury, sitting in a chair. She had thought that she'd be able to keep calm when she finally came face to face. That notion quickly fled. "What the _hell_ do you want?"

"Easy there," His breathing was laboured. "It's alright, Persephone."

"Don't you _dare_ call me that." She growled. He was typing something into his phone. "That person died when Danielle was murdered." He held it up: EARS EVERYWHERE.

Great.

"She died a hero. She died a Legend. No one feels her loss more than I." He said, his tired eyes softening at recalling memories of her. "I practically raised her. Her parents died on a mission when she was a toddler, so SHIELD took her in." He held up his phone again: SHIELD COMPROMISED.

Good Lord…

"She didn't think she was a hero," Jamie corrected. "She was an agent. She was supposed to be so much more, but she was born, bred and died an agent. So don't think for one damn minute that you'll win me over with empathy."

The door opened and she turned so that she was behind Fury, gun poised to greet any newcomer. She cast the director an angry and questioning look, but quickly moved her gaze back to the hall leading into the living room where they were going to meet the owner.

An all too familiar red-white-blue star-studded shield appeared, followed by the face of Steve Rogers. "Oh, shit," she whispered. The world tilted and suddenly she was at the controls of a chitauri ship again, being shot at by Loki with a fresh murderer at her back. There was a flash and, like that, Jamie was back in the apartment. Her feet lost their strength and she fell against the wall, using a chair beside her for support. "Jamie?" Steve asked.

His voice was distant; she was going back under-

"Hill, snap out of it." That was Danielle's voice. "Open your eyes, you're not allowed to be down for the count anymore."

She forced her eyes open and shoved herself away from the support of the wall. Steve had come forward to help her, his shield ever present. "Put that damn thing away, Rogers." She growled and shoved the shield out of her sight.

"You were about to-"  
"Yeah, PTSD does that." She lifted her gun and pointed it at the star-spangled man with no remorse in her eyes. "Now what the hell are you doing here?"

Fury held up the phone for him to read the messages. "This is his apartment, Ms. Hill, he has a right to be here."

She locked eyes with Steve and sighed, slowly lowering the gun. "That's debatable."

Fury held up his phone again: DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP. TRUST NO ONE EXCEPT DIRECTOR NEMO.

Jamie's brows furrowed as she caught a glint of red on Fury's forehead. "You don't look too good, Director." Steve flipped on a light switch and the lamp by him lit up. Her eyes widened, he was beat up pretty bad.

"I assure you, I'm perfectly fine," He stood as though to display his well-being.

Out of nowhere, gun fire ripped through the room and Fury fell. Jamie and Steve dragged him behind the island and waited the fire out. "Athena," He choked. "Get Athena, she'll know what to do. Read the drive, you'll know what to do." After slipping a USB into Steve's hand, he passed into unconsciousness.

Agent Sharon Carter broke down the door and returned fire, though the assassin was gone. "Watch him," Jamie ordered and took off. She broke through the window, then hurled herself on to the roof. Her expert eyes located the fleeing bastard and began pursuit. She could hear Steve right behind her.

"Who is he?!" She yelled to him, though they were less than a foot apart.

"I don't know, but he's good." They leapt to another roof. "I missed you; you could've come back, SHIELD would have accepted you."

"No, I couldn't have," She growled, not tearing her eyes from the target. "And now's not the time to bring those up."

"You're right, and I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing you a lot more." He threw the shield.

The target turned so fast he was inhuman and _caught_ the shield with his _hand_. He didn't_flinch._

"Oh, shit."

"So you swear, now?"

The target threw the shield _back_ at them, but Jamie was too surprised to move. It caught her in the gut and felt like a belly-flop magnified by twelve between the stomach and the ribs and knocking the air out of her lungs. She choked and collapsed, air struggled to slip in as though there was a plug. Vision was doubled, but she could make out Steve's concerned face above her. What was he doing?! "Damn it, Steve, get him!" She gasped and rolled into a ball. He reached out, not wanting to leave, but she waved him away and he obeyed her wish.

She thought about what Fury had said. Trust only Director Nemo? Get Athena?

She didn't know much about the first one. While still working for SHIELD, word had gone around that Fury was training a new Director, but that had never been confirmed. Athena…

She winced and curled tighter into herself as the throbbing intensified and a headache formed. Athena was a Legend, Dr. Chelsea Marx, who had influenced Danielle and convinced her to commit suicide. Why would Fury ask for her? No one knew for sure, but one could always see that there was a sort of father-daughter relationship between Danielle and Nick Fury. He knew more information than anyone; he saw the footage and headed the search for her body. Why would he ask for the one who instigated her death?

Shoving the head pain aside, she pulled out her phone and called Agent Maria Hill, someone she hadn't spoken to since she left. She swallowed as the ringing on the other end ceased, "Hey, sis, I know it's been a while but I needed some time to myself. Now I really need your help."

"Hit me."

She smiled, "I assume you have medics on their way to Fury's location, but he requested specifically Doctor," She hesitated, then decided that her priorities had shifted. "Dr. Chelsea Marx. Could you get me her number?"


	3. Mad World

**Chelsea: Can I just ask all of you to not hunt me down and murder me...I'm kind of necessary for this story and I'm just an actress...**

**Keeper only owns what's hers and thanks you for everything you guys have done for us! This chapter is in dedication to Emberlies! Thank you so much for your support!**

**"I find it kind of funny, I find it kind and sad. The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had. I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take when people run in circles it's a very, very, mad world." -Mad World, Gary Jules**

* * *

"You don't look comfortable," Bruce Banner said. He sat across the table from Chelsea. His calm smile managed to draw out her own and he took her hand which had rested on the table. Their rings made the tell-tale sound of metal on metal. They had been married for three months now, and argued over who was the better Dr. Banner.

"I don't think we should celebrate my birthday this year, I don't need anything special."

"And yet, come my birthday, you'll surprise me with a trip to Brazil. So enjoy this for me, if not for you." She smiled lightly and took off her glasses to clean them. The whole restaurant suddenly jerked forward, windows shattered and the contents of the table spilled on to the floor. Quick-thinking Bruce had pulled them both under the table. He took her into a protective embrace and they waited until the building stopped shaking to come out.

Chelsea scanned the interior of the building which was still standing. No one was seriously hurt, but there were a few people with glass embedded in their hands. "Can you take care of them?" She asked, gesturing to the frightened customers. He looked slightly green for a moment but a calm, reassuring hand on his shoulder and pressed against his cheek was enough to sooth him. "Can you do this or do you need me?"

He took a calm breath. "I can do this. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to check to see if anyone outside needs help." She explained as she headed out the door. About thirty yards from the restaurant was a newly formed crater. Some cars were sitting on the side of the road, but no one was in them; they had probably gone to get help. She made for the crater and waved the smoke away, peering inside. The form of a body reached her sight and she slid in, aiming to reach the body as quickly as possible.

She pulled a cloth from her purse and held it to her face, hoping it would keep out a good deal of smoke and ash. She fell to her knees at the body and felt for a pulse. It was present and steady, but faint. She turned over the body and stole a look at the face.

Her heart stopped. "Oh, my…" She blinked and tried to scrub away the ash from the face to see the features more clearly. "Oh, my-" There was a sharp pain in the back of her neck and she fell forward, unconscious.

* * *

_"__Hey there, Mrs. Banner, a lot's changed since we last spoke." Chelsea opened her eyes and found that she was in The Lounge on the Helicarrier. This was a dream. The Lounge was empty, though, save for her and none other than Danielle Jones who was walking around, waving a gun in the air. _

_ "__How…how did you know about me being married?" _

_Danielle winked and tapped her own head with the gun, "This is all in your head, Chels, I know everything." A chair appeared out of nowhere and she took a seat, straddling the back of the chair. "Now let's discuss." _

_Chelsea suddenly found that she was sitting on the horrible couch that was older than she was which had stood in the corner of The Lounge for years. "What are you talking about?"_

_ "__The Legends." She waved the gun around as though it was just a common, non-lethal object. "Athena the Great, sent away by her friends for committing a crime she didn't realize she was committing." _

_ "__I thought you were going to join Loki. If that happened, then we would've lost." _

_ "__Oh," She tsked. "But you didn't realize the _pain_I was in! A real Romeo and Juliet!" She held the barrel of the gun to her head. "In reality, I was trying to save your life. But I died! So now, you get to hear my dying wish, O Wise Murderess!"_

_ "__Your dying wish?" _

_ "__I want you to reform The Legends. To become great one last time. You Veterans have slept long enough. Do you accept the challenge of redeeming yourself?" _

_Chelsea nodded hesitantly. "Sure. But what about-?"_

_ "__Oh, yes! That little crater snafu? That's not until later. You probably shouldn't tell anyone about it." She stood and turned as though to walk away. "Oh, and Chelsea? I want you to know that none of this was your fault. Everything was my decision and mine alone. Much like this." She raised the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. _

_ "__No!"_

* * *

"NO!" Chelsea woke up in her bed about twenty minutes from D.C. She grasped her head to ease the fierce headache and removed the covers from her sweaty body.

"Hey!" Bruce exclaimed upon entering the room. "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

"Fine, fine, I feel fine. What happened?"

He had her sit down. "It was a meteor, they're saying; big enough to leave an impact after making it through the atmosphere. No one seriously injured, no one died. I got us out before medics and police came in."

No one dead, no one seriously injured…

It troubled her. The body should have proved to have had at least a serious injury…unless it was missing. And the pain before she fell into unconsciousness? That was human made. She wanted more than anything to investigate it, but his next words took the notion out of her head.

"An old friend called; she really needs your help, Chelsea." He held out the phone to her and replayed the voicemail.

_"__Hey, Chelsea,"_ The voice was hesitant, seasoned and old but unmistakably belonging to Jamie Hill. _"__It's been a long time, huh? Listen, I know we didn't really leave on good terms, I know we haven't talked since…you left, but something's come up. Nick Fury is dying and he said that you'd know what to do. Chels, something is very wrong. We need you. If you can help, get to the triskelion as fast as possible." _

She locked eyes with Bruce in surprise. "Oh, God," She whispered. "Oh, Bruce, what do I do?"

"I think you know the answer to that." He replied, his hand running up and down her spine. "You've known it for a long time, now."


	4. Leave Out All the Rest

**Jamie: I said I don't want to do these things. **

**Keeper: Chelsea, would you do the disclaimer? **

**Chelsea: No, thank you, I'm kind of in the middle of something. *She glances up from open heart surgery* It's not the best time. **

**Keeper: *groans* I liked you better when you were a team and Jamie was happy-go-lucky and Chelsea was a funny smart-arse. Fine. I only own what's mine and my obnoxious girls don't necessarily have to count if they're in stupid moods.**

**"When my time comes, forget the wrongs that I've done, help me leave behind a reason to be missed. Don't resent me and when you're feeling empty keep me in your memories, leave out all the rest. Leave out all the rest." -Linkin Park, Leave Out All the Rest**

* * *

Jamie groaned as she woke, a bright light seemed to exist only to make her miserable. She blinked twice before sitting up. "I'm glad to see you're awake." She cracked an eye open and stifled a groan of annoyance. Steve Rogers sure knew when to show up.

She promptly ignored him and pulled out the IV in her arm. Due to the amount of morphine, she couldn't even feel it. She sat up and bit her tongue when she felt the jarring inside her and instantly knew that a rib had been broken. So that's why she needed all the morphine: that damn shield had broken a rib!

"I don't think you should be doing that-"

"Can it, Steve, you know nothing about me." She growled and swung her legs over the side. One foot on the cool tile, the other. Pressure. It felt like her insides were tossed in a blender, and then pain came in like a dull ache. "Where are my clothes?" She had always hated the hospital gowns. It made her feel confined.

She spotted them lying on the counter and began her trek to reach them. "Why are these here? Usually they keep them away until you're fully recovered."

"Because you have a great doctor who knows you too well." Upon reaching her clothes, she took hold of the counter to rest and allowed her gaze to shift to the doorway where Chelsea leaned against the door frame.

Jamie didn't know what to expect when she saw Chelsea again; she didn't know how she would react.

She just nodded her thanks and looked away. She assumed the job of putting on her clothes under her gown. "How's Fury?" She whispered, her voice cracked as memories of friends, family and death overcame her.

"I did everything I could for him," She explained, hoping that Jamie couldn't detect the lack of some truth to her words. "He's going through the surgery, now. If he pulls through, he'll live. If not…"

Jamie nodded. Chelsea went to leave when she forced words to pass her lips. "Thank you, Marx. For trying."

She smiled faintly. "You're welcome, Hill, but you should probably know that my name's Chelsea Banner."

Jamie raised an eyebrow. Two years ago, she would've been bouncing off the walls in happiness. Now, she simply nodded. The Doctor left and she and Steve were left to the room alone. "Let's go see Fury."

"I don't think that's a good idea, especially in your condition." Steve protested, stepping in front of the door before she limped to it.

"You've got to trust me, Steve." She said. "I know I've no business trusting you, but I've never done anything to wane your faith in me. Besides, Danielle walked away with broken bones and fractures all the time to do what was necessary for a mission. I'm just asking to go be there for him."

"You're not Danielle, Jamie. You can't replace her no matter how much you want to."

"I'm not trying to replace her!" She exclaimed. "Danielle was a _normal_ person. There was no super-soldier serum, no experiments, no chemical mixtures gone wrong. She was trained from birth. She was determined. She walked away from injuries that put other agents in the infirmary for months without anything special to help her. If she can do that, I can go in there and make sure he's okay."

He sighed and opened the door. "Alright, but only if you let me help you and you sit down the whole time we're there."

She didn't acknowledge him, but accepted his extended arm which she used as a crutch. Together, they made their way to the viewing room where they could watch over Fury as the doctors tried to save his life. She knew that he was walking far slower than usual and she was grateful for it, but she would never tell him that. Not anymore.

When they entered the viewing room, Jamie locked eyes with Natasha as she was helped into a chair. The assassin smiled faintly, "It's good to have you back, Persephone."

She offered a light, but fake, smile in return, hoping she couldn't spy the anger in her eyes. "Don't call me that."

Chelsea took a seat beside her while Steve went to go stand beside the window. "Fury called you Athena." Jamie whispered. Even saying the name of another Legend threatened to bring her to her knees in haunting memories. "Why is he so desperate to get us back together and if he brought us into it, where's Alex?"

"I think he suffers from PTSD, just like the rest of us." Chelsea explained, not looking at the questioning Jamie who wanted to know how Chelsea knew about her PTSD. She could probably tell just by looking at her. "We all know how close he and Danielle were, there were even rumors that she was a higher clearance level than she said. It's my theory that he was so attached to her and her life style that losing her took out a chunk of his sense. I think he's trying to get as close to her as possible, even though it's not possible at all."

"But now we have the USB to worry about." Jamie whispered. Her thoughts went to the messages Fury showed her back at Steve's apartment. "Among other things. You'd think he planned this because you and I are here, getting ready to go on one more mission."

There was suddenly a loud and violent, repetitive beeping noise. Chelsea jumped up and ran into the room, scrambling around frantically in an effort to bring Fury back. Jamie pulled herself to her feet and went to stand beside Steve, watching, hoping…

Chelsea looked up and locked eyes with Jamie. She barely moved, but Jamie could see the slight shake of the doctor's head. She sunk to her knees as the knowledge slammed into her chest, leaving her more breathless than when she had taken the shield to her gut. Nick Fury was dead.


	5. Kryptonite

**Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! I only own what's mine and thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and contributions! -A Keeper **

**"If I go crazy then would you still call me Superman?...You called me strong, you called me weak, but still your secrets I will keep. I took for granted all the times I never let you down. You stumbled in and bumped your head, if not for me, then you'd be dead. I picked you up and put you back on solid ground." -3 Doors Down, Kryptonite **

* * *

Jamie felt strong hands on her shoulders and suddenly realized that Steve had helped her to her feet and was escorting her back to the sick room. "We need to talk where no one can hear us," She whispered. "Take a right."

The Legends had taken over a storage room in every SHIELD facility and they had all been called The Lounge. The one at the Triskelion hadn't been touched since three years before Danielle's death when Alexander Pierce had ticked her off. No one messes with Danielle Jones. Jamie texted the code for meeting in The Lounge and she and Steve sat in dusty silence.

Steve sighed and spoke first, "Jamie, about why you left-"

"Do we really have to talk about this?" She whispered. "I just lost the only father figure I've known. I lost the only connection I had left with Danielle. I'm not in the mood to discuss your relationship with Natasha."

"Jamie, there is no relationship with Natasha, there's never been one. There was only you."

"Miss Hill," Agent Maria Hill said upon entering the room. "You're wanted by DN. Captain Rogers, you're wanted by Mr. Pierce." She showed no emotion. This didn't bode well. "Now."

* * *

Jamie was limping to the next location—DN's office. She didn't know who or what 'DN' was, but she did know that she was in too deep now to get out. She was a Legend again.

She was led into an average-looking office and saw Chelsea sitting in a chair. She felt a strange sense of calm wash over her upon seeing the doctor there, and then felt guilty. This was her old friend, her old sister, Danielle's murderer, who made her feel calm. What the hell was wrong with her?

She entered the room without Maria and froze. Standing behind the desk, her hands planted upon it near the name plate which read 'D. Nemo' as she spoke to Chelsea, was Danielle Jones.

Jamie didn't take another thought before she lunged forward, and tackled Danielle to the ground. "Who the hell are you?!" She yelled. "How are you alive?!"

"Jamie get off!" She faintly felt Chelsea attempt to pull her off, but she didn't care. Danielle Jones was choking under her anger. Dizziness overcame her. Chelsea was tugging on her pressure point. "Jamie, you need to calm down. She isn't Danielle."

She released the woman who had not struggled to escape her fate and allowed herself to be dragged back. Her heart rattled in her chest, tears welling in her eyes. She whispered brokenly, "Who the hell are you?"

The woman's eyes softened, though her demeanor became strong and leader-like, "I apologize, I should have better informed you. Please sit."

Chelsea helped her up and eased her into a chair. Her ears throbbed with every agitated beat of her heart. The woman offered a faint smile. "My name is Jessica Jones," She said. "Or Director Nemo, former Director Fury's apprentince. I'm Danielle Jones' little sister."

Jamie's nostrils flared as she attempted to remain calm. "Danielle's sister?" She breathed. "Danielle had a sister?" She looked to Chelsea who remained at ease. "How long did you know?"

"Today," The nervous doctor replied. "She contacted me after I had operated on Fury, that's all, I promise."

"Why didn't she tell us she had a sister?" Jamie demanded, gripping the armrests so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"We were…estranged." Jessica explained. "I believe you were informed that she grew up in SHIELD? Our parents died on a mission and we were raised by a combination of SHIELD's leaders and future leaders, most note-worthy: Nick Fury. We were a very effective duo…until I wanted out. I wanted to study marine biology, but once you're with SHIELD, you don't get out easily. Danielle negotiated my release with her lifetime in service, though we could not contact each other. Despite this, she deposited a fair some of money into my back account every year. It was when the sum did not appear one day that I knew something was wrong."

"Wait," Jamie interrupted. "I didn't come here for a life story, I came because you sent me. Is there anything necessary in this monologue?"

Jessica remained emotionless. "You've wanted to know about the past of Danielle Jones since you met her, are you telling me that you're no longer interested?" Jamie crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "You'll find that, despite all you were told and all you knew, Jamie Hill, Chelsea Marx and Alexandra Middleton were released without notice. My sister negotiated her life for my freedom, I negotiated mine for yours. Therefore, you can do whatever needs to be done without SHIELD monitoring you."

"Why would you need people who aren't monitored?" Chelsea questioned. "Does it have something to do with what Fury told Jamie?"

Jamie thought back to Fury's warnings about SHIELD being compromised and trusting Director Nemo—Jessica Jones.

Jessica nodded. "I need you to become Legends once again, to work with Captain America and find out what was on the USB that was valuable enough to cost Fury his life. We need to know what we're dealing with and you're the only people who can pass undetected. I'll be working on the inside to help you."

"No." Jamie instantly replied. "I'm no field agent, but I'll do what I can. I owe it to Danielle to try."

Jamie froze at Chelsea's words.

Maybe…maybe she hadn't intended for Danielle to go so far.

She sighed, "Alright, I'll do it for Davy Jones. But don't think for a second that I'm on fair terms with you." She pointed to Director Nemo. "I'm still upset with you."

The director smiled. "I'm glad you agreed, Proserpina." Jamie raised an eyebrow. Apparently, they had new code names as well. "Because you and Minerva's ride just became public enemy number one." She turned her laptop around and showed Steve's face plastered beside the glowing number '1.'

"Damn it, Steve!"


	6. Icarus

**Chelsea: Okay, Keeper is sorry for the delay, but she's kind of lacking motivation...and, in some cases, wifi. **

**Jamie: Keeper's got a question: This one is set up to have a sequel, but do you guys really want it to continue or to just end off here? Let her know in a PM or review so she can determine whether or not to continue this. **

**Chelsea: Also, the updates but be coming slower, but that's only because Captain America: The Winter Soldier is coming out on dvd in September and she wants to limit the amount of stuff she has to re-do to make it more accurate. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**"Icarus' flying to close to the sun, Icarus' life it had only just begun." -Bastille, Icarus **

* * *

Director Nemo handed each of them a gun. "Good luck. I believe in you, Fury believed in you, Danielle believed in you. Don't screw this up." She ordered. "Beware the strike team."

They were practically shoved into the hallway, bumping into Steve on the way. "You got the USB?" Jamie whispered. He nodded and took her hand nonchalantly, slipping the USB into her possession. She quickly hid it in her pocket and they entered the elevator. "Who was that guy on the roof?" She asked. "I've got a feeling we haven't seen the last of him.

"He's called The Winter Soldier," Chelsea replied. None of them looked at anyone else. They were utilizing the time they had before anyone else came into the elevator. "He's a ghost. Responsible for dozens of assassinations and terrorist attempts, nothing is really known about him personally."

"Where's Natasha?" Steve whispered as he punched the ground level button. "She'd know more."

"'There is no relationship with Natasha,'" Jamie mocked. "'There was only you.'"

"Jamie, there is no way we're having this conversation now."

"There's no way Natasha is coming with us."

The elevator doors opened and in came the strike team as well as several men with briefcases. Jamie groaned and her eyes narrowed. "I know where to go," She said. "And it's not Jamie. It's Proserpina."

"Hey," Chelsea warned, her eyes flickering to the tense men, waiting for the opportune moment to attack. "If we're exchanging names, maybe we should save it for later."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Before we begin, does anyone want to get out?" Jamie cracked her knuckles.

"Um," Chelsea stammered. "I do."

"Steve, if you talk about Natasha in front of me again, I'm going to punch a hole through your shield." She warned, as the men looked around, slightly concerned.

"I wasn't talking about her!"

"Just like you didn't kiss her?"

"Jamie! What the hell is wrong with-"

"Oh, screw it!" Jamie sucker-punched the strike team leader in the face, starting the elevator brawl.

"Minerva, look out!" She exclaimed, then shoved her in the corner of the lift.

"Here!" Amidst the intense fighting, someone hit the button that made the lift jerk to a stop and Steve gave Chelsea his shield. She curled into the smallest ball possible and used the infamous seventy-year-old shield to protect herself from oncoming assaults.

"Were you fighting with me to have a reason to throw the first punch?!" Steve shouted.

"Maybe!" Jamie replied as she kicked some business guy in the gut and knocked him over the head, taking out his consciousness.

"You became a drama queen over the last two years! An unemotional, jealous, drama queen!"

"You're one to talk _Captain_ Steve Rogers, ninety-year-old swim suit model extraordinaire!" She sneered, ramming two heads together and simultaneously knocking them both unconscious.

Steve was throwing punches left and right, taking out the lights in many a bad guy. "'Swim suit model'?!"

"Well, you're not exactly a couch potato, _Mr. On Your Left!_"

"Jamie," He took out the last man, pulled her close, then kissed her right there. "Can I have the care-free Persephone come back?"

Jamie, though she did succumb to the kiss, backed away and helped Chelsea to her feet. "Proserpina," She corrected. "And this is Minerva. Don't forget it. We are here to honour the memory of Danielle Jones by continuing her legacy one more time. After this, you won't ever see me again. Ever."

"Glad that was cleared up," Chelsea interrupted. "But we've got a problem. We are God knows how many stories up and we're not getting out through the front door."

"We're getting out through The Bushes," Jamie corrected. "Steve, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She nodded towards the glass on the back of the elevator which faced the courtyard.

"Yeah, come here, _Minerva,"_ Steve emphasized her name and looked pointedly at Jamie. Chelsea hadn't caught on, but listened to Steve regardless. He wrapped an arm around Chelsea.

"Damn it," Jamie whispered. "This is your fault. Now let's go!"

They ran through the glass.

Both Jamie and Chelsea felt shards of glass pass through their arms, legs and faces. Their stomachs flipped over and over as they tumbled through the air. Impact was worse. Jamie felt the bones in her right leg snap and she cried out in agony. Chelsea had numerous cuts and her wrist was echoing pain. She had sprained it, the impact lessening for her because Steve had cushioned it.

Jamie bit back more screams as she shifted. "Minerva, help." She reached out. Chelsea became her crutch while she focused on ignoring the pain.

"Take your cycle and meet us at the mall." Jamie ordered. Steve raised an eyebrow, silently asking what she intended to do. "Not the National Mall, the mall mall. We're going to take a car. Just get the hell out of here!"

Without looking back, the duo stumbled to Chelsea's car after Jamie made her switch plates with another car in the visitor's section. "We're going to the mall mall?" Chelsea asked. She pulled out of the parking space and texted a pass-code to the number 732-1773: The Bush. It opened the secret passage through the forest of bushes up front, allowing them to exit the government property currently on lockdown.

"Every dumb ass working at SHIELD who is a traitor bought a one-way ticket to hell." Jamie muttered as she snapped a meter stick in half and used gauze to make a splint for her legs.

"How's your rib?" Chelsea asked, her eyes searching Jamie for possible solutions to her dilemma. She ignored the throbbing pain of the sprain, silently promising to bind it when they stopped. "And your leg?"

Jamie dry-swallowed three pain-killers. "Painful. The rib is healed, though. Give the leg a dayor two and it'll be fine, too."

Chelsea shook her head. "Jamie, you're not Danielle, you can't just walk it off like her-"

"You're right, I'm not her." She growled. She was not about to be lectured about their leader, a woman that the lecturer had _murdered. _"And I'm tired of everyone comparing me to her. I'm different. I heal faster. This has _nothing_ to do with Danielle!" She took a breath and sighed, then burst into tears. "Danielle's buried. Let her stay buried.


End file.
